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The American'S Grape Grower Guide by Chorlton, William, a rare selected detail of the 1852 - wine book.
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  • The American'S Grape Grower Guide by Chorlton, William, a rare selected detail of the 1852 - wine book.
  • The American'S Grape Grower Guide by Chorlton, William, a rare view of the 1852 - wine book.
  • The American'S Grape Grower Guide by Chorlton, William, a rare selected detail of the 1852 - wine book.
  • The American'S Grape Grower Guide by Chorlton, William, a rare illustrated detail of the 1852 - wine book.
  • The American'S Grape Grower Guide by Chorlton, William, a rare image from the book of the 1852 - wine book.
  • The American'S Grape Grower Guide by Chorlton, William, a rare notable image of the 1852 - wine book.
  • The American'S Grape Grower Guide by Chorlton, William, a rare view of the 1852 - wine book.
  • The American'S Grape Grower Guide by Chorlton, William, a rare selected detail of the 1852 - wine book.
  • The American'S Grape Grower Guide by Chorlton, William, a rare view of the 1852 - wine book.
  • The American'S Grape Grower Guide by Chorlton, William, a rare selected detail of the 1852 - wine book.
  • The American'S Grape Grower Guide by Chorlton, William, a rare illustrated detail of the 1852 - wine book.
  • The American'S Grape Grower Guide by Chorlton, William, a rare image from the book of the 1852 - wine book.
  • The American'S Grape Grower Guide by Chorlton, William, a rare notable image of the 1852 - wine book.
  • The American'S Grape Grower Guide by Chorlton, William, a rare view of the 1852 - wine book.
The American'S Grape Grower Guide

America’s uncanny 1850s guide to indoor grape dreams and steamy glasshouses.

Chorlton, William

The American'S Grape Grower Guide
Intended Especially For The American Climate. Being A Practical Treatise On The Cultivation Of The Grape-Vine In Each Department Of Hot House, Cold Grapery, Retarding House, And Out Door Culture. With Plans For The Construction Of The Requisite Buildings, And Giving The Best Methods Of Heating The Same. Every Department Being Fully Illustrated.

1852, New York, Orange Judd & Company

First edition

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Overview

This rare and collectible text remains one of the most unique and comprehensive 19th-century guides to grape growing in the American climate. In History of Horticulture in America to 1860 (Oxford University Press, 1950), U. P. Hedrick explains its success:
“Scarcely any under-glass endeavor received more attention in the mid-19th century than grape culture. In the 1850s the grape was receiving more attention from amateur fruit growers than any other fruit. [In the North Atlantic States] there were at the time only two good grapes that could be grown out of doors, Catawba and Isabella. Grapes could not be imported from California or Europe. If people in eastern America were to have grapes over a long season, some must be grown under glass. Several authors wrote books on this fruit, and by far the most popular was William Chorlton’s American Grape-Grower’s Guide.”

Inside the book

First published in 1852, William Chorlton’s The American Grape-Grower’s Guide quickly became the standard reference for those seeking to cultivate grapes indoors. Drawing on his work as horticulturist to J. C. Green of Staten Island, Chorlton provided detailed instructions for building graperies, training vines, managing propagation and hybridization, combating diseases and insects, and experimenting with heating methods suited to different environments. The book includes extensive varietal lists, with notable mentions of “zinfindal” and chasselas, as well as practical guidance on pruning, retarding houses to extend the season, and even suggestions that wives and daughters could assist with the indoor work. Gabler notes that “Chorlton gives a long list of European grapes suitable for indoor cultivation” (Gabler 15820, p. 87).
Chorlton’s illustrations of grape-house design and his precise descriptions of heat management reveal both the innovation and optimism of an era when indoor grape culture was considered the height of domestic refinement. His writings are also strikingly unaware of phylloxera, which would later devastate european vineyards.
Whether Chorlton ever implemented his ambitious teachings at scale, or enjoyed fine wine from his methods, remains uncertain. For further information on Chorlton and the multiple editions of this work, see Gail Unzelman, “William Chorlton and His American Grape-Grower’s Guide,” Wayward Tendrils Quarterly, Vol. 17, No. 1, January 2007.

Why La Fenice chose it

A gorgeously illustrated ode to 1850s under-glass grape culture, when indoor viticulture was cutting-edge and domestic refinement meant building your own grapery.
Condition Report

Pp. [1] f.e, [4], xii, 11-204, [6], [1] r.e.

Bound in the original brown pebbled cloth with gilt title on the spine (almost invisible), light wear at the edges. Some light age related staining on exterior pages. Numerous tables and technical illustrations in the text. Very good copy.

Dimensions (inches): 7.5 x 5 x 0.5
About the author

William Chorlton (1811–1889) was an English gardener who emigrated to the U.S. in 1848.
In America, he became head gardener for John C. Green, New Brighton, Staten Island, and authored enduring grape-cultivation manuals and viticultural works.

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